Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-05

going too cheap. He has other Won Rrssnens Cor
sale. knoedler Co bought In a Bougereau foi
are none In the market-and ID sold for one-hafc a
MA n Ar 1rsses paid for H. The dealers had nc
AMOS J. CUMMINGS AND BrakErY HALL.
MEXICO AND THE MEAuCANS,
Alkali and Apaches-Mincs and Cast,e-
So0brerOs and Sanaals-l.ana sa Won.
derful Surprises.
cNKRA. MkxIoo, Feb. %.
Correspondence OF THE EVENING STAR
The state Of Chiahuahua through which ~
pass In our journey into Mexico Is the largest In
the republic. Fully one-hah OF ITS northern area
Is unft for cultivation, while the southern part n
exceedingly fertile wherever water can be had for
Irrigation The live Yankee would have this coun-
Try all dotted over with wells and wind mills and
he would soon try the experiment OF artesian
wells, which ought 10 be a great success. The
haciendas We pass have descended from father 10
son, being immense estates OF from $4,000
TO l25.0oo acres some OF them having irrigating
disches ufty miles In length The proiits derived
from these large estates are immense Many are
managed by an oyersecr, their owners residing In
Paris City OF Mexico or elsewhere. our Journey
is scarcely begun ere we ind that our northern
clothing is exceedingly uncomfortable but N We
are foolish enough To changeo our garments nj mid.
day We viii certainly ring for the porter and anex-
IRA blanket before midnight. The country through
which we pass looks like an alkau desert, no rain
having fallen for three months and nearly as many
more Will pass before the wet season begins.
As We sweep on the alkan dust nils the cars. not
outstanding doors and windows are closely shut
Our lips become dry and parched, the nose and
head syrhpathize, and altogether we think We have
where skirmishes with the blood-thirsty Apaches
nave maoe the places historic. The state Is noted
for It's valuable mines, one OF which, In santa
yielded &441,0o0,oo0. The celebrated Ba-
topilas mine, in the sierra Madre range,
yielding 5000 per month. We scarcely run into
any town In our Journey the railroad met with
such nerce opposition that the right OF way could
not DE secured. On every side immense herds u
cattle are roaming over the and plains north
erner sees little that is green yet these animals
OF ponies mules and burros and an army OF riders
with their sombreros tnclines US 20 think we
have struck the home of Buffalo Bill Many
OF them have the general appearance OF a
fort. Each one has q chapel where mass r. cele-
brated by the poems on the sabbath. The parish
the dead. Here and there we see half-naked,
poorly clad women with immense water lars ON
their heads, and innuperable donkeys patiently
with less sense than the docile beast urging them
on with his whip and horrtd oaths In spanish
through sacramento, made notable by the battle
fought by Col Doniphan In the early part OF The
Mexican war. We arrive at
CHIAHUAHUA, 225 MILES SOUTH or IL PAso,
fast In our hotel car. and spend our 1rst sabbath
In this land OF wonderful surprises This capital
city was built in the seventeenth century, has
about $4,000 Inhabitants, is 4.70o feet above the
with many fine buildings. and has the reputation
OF being a healthy municipality. The trainway
conveys US 70 the city; There is Mt
Stores are open and there seems very little cessa-
ton from the usual week day labors The people
are a motley company, some gaudily dressed,
q hQrS a M Al ushpra IL
one with white cotton pants, the pink OF the lash
ion, and with the addition OF a bright shawl and
e' 9ne sessaS hs Women sPcsa
fully about the head, showing little Of
are the common and fashionable protection OF the
feet. They are made fast by thongs, one OF which
S S
heel process unique and puzzling TO Yankee.
The mothers carry their children about IN a sack
made from their shawl adjusted In a mysterious
| way, beyond the comprehension OF the ladies ~
| our party. Everywhere flthy beggars In rags and
These revolving specimens gather in immense
| numbers about the cathedrals, and piteously ex-
tend their itching palms TO American visitors
or shaded streets-the solid block OF one-story
| adobe huts-through which we pass gives an
idea OF the city and its real beauty. Figs, aloes
| cactus and flowers OF many varieties, 10 us who
have left our midwtnter home are a delightful
| change We enter the old cathedral, La Parro-
1 ",
| ifice, with a massive dome and imposing tower.
This structure cost 500 600 which a tax OF
real u2h cents imposed on every q taken out Of
| q mine near the city. In the tower hangs a nu-
merous collection OF bells, one OF which was
SHATTERED BY A CANNON BALL
| fired in 1896 by Maximillian's forces during the
invasion OF the city. There is here an aqueduct
| carried over massive arches through which pure
4 water Is brought into a fountain which Is con
stantly besieged by hosts OF men, women and chill
4 al
| Imaginable shapes An fnterm1nable Jarg0n
breaks upon our ears at every STEP and were It not
Manuel RveSoll, we might as well be In the heart
| OF South Africa The Spaniards have been Jostled
tered the city, and there are now two newspapers,
| a street railway, a telephone an Ice fac
| tory and a modern bullion refinery. Here at
Prieal Hidalgo, was imprisoned, and from IT was
led TO execution In the plaza IL being the sabbath,
OF Bo n ceS T W Se has been
| missionary work here and throughout the state
for the past nve years under the auspices OF the
| ing and evening. The currency OF the differ
| ent Mexican states Is more diverse than
government uses the metric system and has
endeavOred to introduce q decimal currency, and
at the minis OF the different states silver pieces Of
five, ten, twenty 1--WE, fifty cents and one dollar
are coined which current in every state In the
confederation The old Spanish issue OF silver also
Is current everywhere. The paper issue OF the
I'm circuit OF miles OF the City OF Mex
leo, but the unfortunate holder must pay a round
4 discount upon IL outside or this boundary, even
though presented at their own branches. The bank
| OF Chihuahua issues paper redeemable In current
money copper, or its equivalent, at per cent
discount at the option OF the bank. OF course the
holder can't carry the copper-and the discount Is
SO enormous-the paper Is never redeemed, and
with good printing press the bank has regular
| bonanza
We leave Chihuahua
| IN ROUTE FOB xAcAfTcAs,
| SCI miles distant and journey at the base
| OF a range OF mountains sometimes passing
peaks 600 feet above our heads, while the track
| is over 1000 feet above the sea- Here and there
| we catch q glimpse OF villages with their adobe
| huts whose Inmates know as little OF the outside
world as their fathers did 800 years ago. In the
| fields the same old wood pillow is doing the work
did in years long gone. and the modern Spafnard
with one hand on its only handle and IN the other
| a long stick with an iron spike In the end goads
| the oxen and curses them with Spanish oaths
lust as his ancestors did In the forgotten past At
every station the approach OF the trVn Is the sg-
| nal for a grand rush OF the natives and there
gather horsemen with gay trappings and paralyz-
| Ing sombrer0s, men In rags and nlth women
poorly clad, their naked babies being hidden
| In pocket made In the fold OF their shawls. The
| most gorgeousy poInpOus individual seen is the
Mexican policeman. He Is tremendously orna-
mented, and hts Overgrown pistol is mortal ter
TOR TO evil doors Night steals In, as usual with
no twilight and on we thunder over a track as
smooth as any In America. without single tunnel.